U.S. patent number 6,896,221 [Application Number 10/414,874] was granted by the patent office on 2005-05-24 for vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Einar Einarsson, Lloyd L. Zickert. Invention is credited to Einar Einarsson.
United States Patent |
6,896,221 |
Einarsson |
May 24, 2005 |
Vertical takeoff and landing aircraft
Abstract
A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, which includes pivotal
wing and engine assemblies on a fuselage with tail assemblies
extending from each of the wing assemblies and the engines being
operable in turbo prop or pure jet mode, wherein the aircraft is
configured such that it can be landed or taken off vertically or in
a horizontal mode along a runway.
Inventors: |
Einarsson; Einar (109
Reykjavik, IS) |
Assignee: |
Einarsson; Einar (Reykjavik,
IS)
Zickert; Lloyd L. (Hinsdale, IL)
|
Family
ID: |
34590003 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/414,874 |
Filed: |
April 16, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
244/7C;
244/12.4 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B64C
39/04 (20130101); B64C 29/0033 (20130101); B64C
3/385 (20130101); B64C 5/08 (20130101); B64C
3/38 (20130101); B64C 29/0075 (20130101); B64D
27/10 (20130101); Y02T 50/10 (20130101); Y02T
50/14 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B64D
27/00 (20060101); B64C 39/04 (20060101); B64D
27/16 (20060101); B64D 27/10 (20060101); B64C
5/08 (20060101); B64C 29/00 (20060101); B64C
3/38 (20060101); B64C 5/00 (20060101); B64C
39/00 (20060101); B64C 3/00 (20060101); B64C
003/38 () |
Field of
Search: |
;244/7R,7A,7C,12.4,56,66 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Dinh; Tien
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Zickert; Lloyd L.
Claims
The invention is hereby claimed as follows:
1. A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft comprising: a fuselage
for carrying passengers and/or cargo, a tail assembly at the rear
end of the fuselage, a movable wing assembly including a wing
pivotally mounted at each side of the fuselage and positionable
between substantially horizontal and substantially vertical
positions for respectively conditioning the aircraft for horizontal
and vertical flight modes, an engine carried by each wing assembly,
each said engine having a propeller with blades, flaps at the
trailing edges of the wings movable between an inline position as
an extension of the wings for producing substantially horizontal
flight mode and at an incline to the wings when the wings are in a
substantially vertical position to direct air flow from the
propeller substantially vertically downward for the substantially
vertical flight mode, and each wing assembly including a tail
assembly extending rearwardly therefrom, the configuration of the
aircraft as to the position of the engines, the length of the
propeller blades, and the position of the wing assemblies being
such that when the wings are in the substantial horizontal
position, the tips of the blades are spaced above the ground
thereby allowing the aircraft to land or take off along a runway,
whereby positioning the wing assemblies into substantially vertical
position and the flaps into substantially vertical position orients
the aircraft in vertical takeoff/landing mode, and positioning the
wing assemblies into substantially horizontal position and the
flaps at inline positions orients the aircraft in the horizontal
flying/landing mode.
2. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the engines are jet fuel driven
turbines having means for driving said propellers in turboprop mode
and means for operating in pure jet mode.
3. The aircraft of claim 2, which further includes means for
mounting the propeller blades for movement between an operating
mode for producing trust and a non-operating mode for producing no
thrust, whereby when the aircraft is in vertical takeoff/landing
and horizontal landing modes, the engines are in turboprop mode and
the propeller blades are in said operating mode, and when the
aircraft is in horizontal flying mode, the engines are in pure jet
mode and the blades are in said non-operating mode.
4. The aircraft of claim 1, which further includes pontoons and
wheel landing gear permitting the aircraft to take off from or land
on water or land.
5. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein each tail assembly includes a
stabilizer with a control surface.
6. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein each said tail assembly
includes an inclined stabilizer and combination
rudder/elevator.
7. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein each said tail assembly also
includes a horizontal stabilizer.
8. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein said tail assembly includes a
vertical and a horizontal stabilizer.
9. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the engines are jet fuel driven
turbines having means for driving propellers in turboprop mode and
means for operating in pure jet mode).
10. The aircraft of claim 9, which further includes means for
mounting the propeller blades for movement between an operating
mode for producing thrust and a non-operating mode for producing no
thrust, whereby when the aircraft is in vertical takeoff/landing
and horizontal landing modes, the engines are in turboprop mode and
the propeller blades are in said operating mode, and when the
aircraft is in horizontal flying mode, the engines are in pure jet
mode and the blades are in said non-operating mode.
11. A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft comprising: a fuselage
for carrying passengers and/or cargo, a tail assembly at the rear
end of the fuselage, a movable wing assembly pivotally mounted at
each side of the fuselage and positionable between substantially
horizontal and substantially vertical positions for respectively
conditioning the aircraft for substantially horizontal and vertical
flight modes, each said movable wing assembly with a wing member
having leading and trailing edges, an inner end and an outer end,
the inner end being closely adjacent to the fuselage, a jet fuel
turbine engine mounted on each of the wing members, each said
engine having a propeller shaft and a propeller mounted thereon
with a plurality of blades, said blades movable between an
operating mode to produce an air flow across the wing whereby the
engine operates in a turboprop mode to produce thrust, and a
non-operating mode with the blades folded along the engine whereby
the engine operates in a jet mode to produce thrust, flaps at the
trailing edges of the wing members operable between a position
inline with the wing members for producing substantially horizontal
flight mode for the aircraft and at an incline to the wing members
when the wing is in a substantially vertical position and the
propeller blades are in operating mode to direct air flow from the
propeller blades substantially vertically downward for the
substantially vertical flight mode, and each wing assembly
including a tail assembly extending rearwardly therefrom, the
configuration of the aircraft as to the position of the engines,
the length of the propeller blades, and the position of the wing
members being such that when the wing members are in the
substantial horizontal position, the tips of the blades are spaced
above the ground thereby allowing the aircraft to land or take off
along a runway, whereby positioning the wing members into
substantially vertical position and the flaps into substantially
vertical position conditions the aircraft for said vertical flight
mode, and positioning the wing members into substantially
horizontal position and the flaps at inline positions conditions
the aircraft for said horizontal flight mode.
12. The aircraft of claim 11, wherein each tail assembly includes
an inclined stabilizer with a control member and a horizontal
stabilizer.
Description
This invention relates in general to a vertical takeoff and landing
aircraft, and more particularly to an aircraft having pivotally
mounted wing assemblies that include engines and tail assemblies,
and more particularly to a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft
capable of taking off and landing from a relatively small area or
along a runway where respectively the aircraft is operable in
vertical takeoff and landing mode or horizontal flying ode.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Heretofore, it has been well known to provide vertical takeoff and
landing aircraft. Many different proposals have been advanced for
producing vertical thrust for an airplane. For example, the very
old Jacobs U.S. Pat. No. 1,491,954 patent merely discloses an
aircraft having a blower that creates an airflow across the wing
members in order to provide lifts as well as a forward propulsion
force.
Several prior art aircraft capable of producing vertical lift which
include mounting engines that will rotate on the body of an
aircraft to provide either downward thrust or forward thrust are
disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,780,424; 2,912,188; 3,061,242;
3,155,342; and 3,278,138.
Other aircraft proposed to have vertical takeoff and landing
abilities include aircraft where the sole use of flaps or cowlings
movable from one position to provide horizontal thrust and another
to provide vertical thrust are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos.
3,126,170; 3,577,736; 3,823,897; 4,358,074; 4,804,155; 5,115,996;
5,209,428; and 5,372,337.
It has also been known to provide a rotatable engine with extremely
large blades that are rotated for providing lift or forward thrust,
as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,106,369 and 3,393,882.
It has also been known to provide a combination of engines for
driving first propellers that will cause only vertical thrust and
also exhaust streams for only providing horizontal thrust where the
engines that provide the horizontal thrust also have mechanical
linkage connected to the propellers that provide vertical thrust,
as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,002,709.
The most publicized recent vertical and takeoff landing aircraft is
the United States V-22 Osprey, which includes a fuselage having
wings extending from opposite sides and a tail assembly at the rear
end of the fuselage. Propulsion power is provided by two engines,
one mounted on each end of the wings, having a helicopter size
rotor. The engines are pivotally mounted on the ends of the wings
and must be vertically oriented so that the helicopter type blades
extend substantially horizontal like the main rotor of a
helicopter. Once the aircraft is airborne, the engines are swung
into horizontal position to orient the rotors in vertical position
and provide horizontal thrust to the aircraft.
A diagrammatic showing of the V-22 aircraft is shown in FIGS. 1 and
2. The V-22 aircraft is generally designated by the numeral 15 and
includes an elongated fuselage 16 having a cabin or operator's
cockpit 17 at the front end of the aircraft and a tail assembly 18
at the rear end of the aircraft. Fixed wings 19 extend from both
sides of the fuselage 16 and engines 20 are pivotally mounted on
the ends of the wings. The engines drive rotors 21 that provide
lifting thrust when the engines are in vertical position, as shown
in FIG. 1 in solid lines, and horizontal thrust when the engines
are horizontally disposed, as shown in phantom in FIG. 1. Several
control surfaces are provided on the wings and the tail assembly in
order to maneuver the aircraft through pitch, yaw and roll
movements. However, it is well known that the V-22 aircraft has
been plagued with a plethora of safety problems and currently has
found disfavor in the military. Further, because the rotors are so
large, it is impossible to land the aircraft with the engines in
horizontal position, as the rotors would engage the ground as
particularly illustrated in FIG. 1 where the engines are in
horizontal position and the rotors penetrate through the ground
level. Thus, if the engine pivoting mechanism on the aircraft
malfunctions and fails to allow rotation of the engines into
vertical position, any attempt to land the aircraft otherwise would
cause the rotors to strike the ground and become useless, resulting
in crashing or at least damaging the aircraft.
It is also well known that the British Harrier aircraft is capable
of takeoff and landing maneuvers as well as forward flight
maneuvers. However, the Harrier aircraft requires the use of jet
engine diverters for producing the vertical takeoff and landing
thrusts, and overall safe operation of the aircraft has not always
been acceptable. Further, the hot gases from the Harrier engines
exhausting in such close proximity to the landing or takeoff
surface have a damaging effect to the landing or takeoff surfaces.
Moreover, the engine and diverter assemblies are very expensive to
make and to maintain.
In today's world, practically the only aircraft acceptable for
vertical takeoffs and landings and horizontal flight is the well
known helicopter. However, the helicopter cannot attain very high
forward speeds because it relies on the overhead rotor in order to
provide forward thrust of the aircraft.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the problems heretofore encountered
in providing a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft that can
attain high speeds in horizontal flight. It also overcomes the
problems of being able to safely attain vertical flight in takeoff
and landing maneuvers. The aircraft of the present invention is
configured to also permit conventional landing on a runway, as well
as having vertical takeoff and landing capabilities from a small
area not much larger than the footprint of the aircraft.
The vertical takeoff and landing aircraft of the present invention
includes a fuselage for the operating crew and/or passengers and/or
freight. A tail assembly is mounted on the fuselage and extends
rearwardly for stability and maneuvering, and pivotal wing and
engine assemblies extend from each side of the fuselage. The wing
portion of the wing and engine assemblies includes control surfaces
for maneuvering the aircraft and the engines are fixedly mounted on
the wing portions. While any number of engines may be used, one
engine on each of the wing portions is shown for this application.
Each engine is preferably a jet fuel driven turbine engine also
having a transmission for selectively driving a propeller. The
blades of the propeller are movable between operating position and
folded back non-operating position, where the engine may serve as a
turbo prop engine or as a pure jet engine. Thus, the transmission
will allow the propellers to be disengaged and stopped during
horizontal flight mode. Flaps are also provided on wing portions of
the wing and engine assemblies for use in not only providing
braking power where necessary but also to assist in providing
vertical thrust during vertical takeoff and landing procedures.
Optionally, additional tail assemblies may extend rearwardly from
the wing and engine assemblies to provide further stability. These
assemblies may also have control surfaces to assist in maneuvering
the aircraft. The wing and engine assemblies are mounted high on
the aircraft fuselage and the diameter of the propellers is such
that where malfunction of the mechanism for pivoting the wing and
engine assemblies is encountered, the aircraft can be landed in a
horizontal mode on a runway without having the blades of the
propellers engaging the runway surface.
It will be appreciated that the aircraft of the invention may be
provided with floats for enabling it to be landed and taken off
from water, as well as wheel gear for permitting the landing or
taking off from land. Preferably, the wheel gear is
retractable.
It should also be appreciated that the size of the fuselage may be
such as to accommodate only a few passengers or as many passengers
as needed for commercial travel. In this regard, it is also
possible that the aircraft of the invention can be sized for use as
a private aircraft for an individual.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new
and improved vertical takeoff and landing aircraft capable of
taking off vertically or along a runway and also landing vertically
or along the runway without damaging any part of the aircraft.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and
improved vertical takeoff and landing aircraft capable of having
wing and engine assemblies pivotally mounted on the fuselage with
jet fuel driven turbine engines capable of providing jet thrust and
driving propellers primarily for use in the vertical flight
mode.
A still further object of the present invention is in the provision
of an improved vertical takeoff and landing aircraft having
improved stability to produce safer vertical takeoff and landing
maneuvers.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a
vertical takeoff and landing aircraft that can attain high speeds
in horizontal flight.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be
apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in
conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like
reference numerals refer to like parts.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view of a prior art V-22
Osprey showing the engine nacelle in solid lines position for
vertical takeoff and landing mode and showing in phantom the engine
nacelle in horizontal position showing that it is impossible to
land the aircraft on a horizontal runway without damaging the
propellers;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the prior art V-22 Osprey shown in
FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the improved vertical takeoff and
landing aircraft according to the present invention showing the
wing and engine assemblies in solid lines and tilted for vertical
takeoff and landing maneuvers and also illustrating the wing and
engine assemblies in horizontal position in phantom;
FIG. 4 is a plan view of the aircraft of FIG. 3 and showing the
aircraft in horizontal flying mode with the propellers of the
engines folded back in non-operating position in solid lines and
extending in dotted lines for operating position;
FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the aircraft of FIGS. 3 and 4
illustrating the aircraft in horizontal flying mode with the
propellers folded back into non-operating position and also showing
in phantom how the propellers would be positioned in operating
mode;
FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the aircraft of FIGS. 3 to
5;
FIG. 7 is an elevational view of a modification of the invention
showing a fuselage having a multiplicity of window ports and
indicating wherein the fuselage is one built for carrying many
passengers such as in a commercial passenger aircraft;
FIG. 8 is a side elevational view showing the aircraft of FIG. 7 in
horizontal flying mode with the propellers in folded back
non-operating position in solid lines and in dotted lines
representing their operating position;
FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the aircraft shown in FIG. 8 and in
the horizontal flying mode;
FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of a further modification of the
invention and illustrating an aircraft with floats and the wing and
engine assemblies tilted in solid lines for vertical takeoff and
landing mode and showing the engine and wing assemblies in phantom
when the aircraft is in horizontal flying mode;
FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of the modification of FIG. 10
and showing the engine and wing assemblies in horizontal position
for horizontal flying mode with the propeller blades folded back in
non-operating position;
FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the aircraft of FIGS. 10 and 11 and
showing the aircraft in horizontal flight mode;
FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of the aircraft of FIG. 12.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2,
which show the prior art V-22 Osprey aircraft to illustrate the
inability of the aircraft to land in a horizontal mode on a runway.
The present invention overcomes this problem inasmuch as the
propeller blades do not have to be as large as the helicopter-type
propeller blades of the V-22 Osprey.
It will be understood that the term "horizontal flight mode" used
herein refers to when the aircraft of the invention is flying
directly horizontally or substantially horizontally when it would
be climbing, descending, or taking off or landing along a runway.
The phrase "vertical flight mode" used herein refers to when the
aircraft would be taking off or landing vertically or substantially
vertically. The term "control surfaces" uses herein refers to any
movable flap or panel on or along a wing or tail assembly capable
of producing roll, yaw or pitch maneuvers causing the aircraft to
ascend or descend or change its direction of travel. These
maneuvers are associated with the roll, yaw and pitch axes of the
aircraft, so as to allow the aircraft to be directionally variable
between horizontal and vertical attitudes for driving the airplane
either vertically while the fuselage remains in horizontal attitude
or substantially horizontal as in normal flight.
Referring now to the embodiment of FIGS. 3 to 6, a preferred
embodiment of the invention is shown and generally designated by
the numeral 25. The aircraft includes an elongated fuselage
generally indicated by the numeral 27, a pair of opposed wing and
engine assemblies generally indicated by the numerals 30 and
31.
The elongated fuselage 27 includes a cockpit area 33 for a pilot
and/or a co-pilot, front and back doors 35 and 37 for allowing
entry and departure from the aircraft by the pilots, other crew
members, and any passengers. Appropriate seating may be provided
within the passenger area for passengers. While only two doors are
shown, any number of doors may be provided and they may be provided
on both sides of the fuselage if so desired. Also shown is a
baggage compartment door 39 adjacent to the rear end of the
fuselage for a baggage compartment. A tail assembly 41 includes a
vertical stabilizer 43 and a horizontal stabilizer 44. It will be
understood that suitable pitch control surfaces will be provided on
the horizontal stabilizer 44, while suitable yaw control surfaces
will be provided on the vertical stabilizer 43.
At the underside of the fuselage, any suitable landing gear may be
used. In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 3 to 6, a pair of
floats 46 is provided which enable the aircraft to land on and take
off from water. Additionally, the floats include retractable
landing gear with wheels 48 and 50, as seen in FIG. 3, which
enables the aircraft to land and take off on land, and rudders at
the trailing ends to assist in directional control on the water.
The wheels also permit the landing or taking off while the aircraft
is in a vertical flight mode or if the aircraft is in a horizontal
flight mode. Thus, any suitable landing gear may be provided for
the aircraft.
It will be appreciated that when landing on water the wheels would
be in retracted position, and when landing on land the wheels would
be in extended or down position.
Accordingly, it should be appreciated that the aircraft can have
any type of landing gear that would be desirable for use by the
owner, and it could land on either water or land where it would
have the combination pontoon gear and wheel gear. Further, the
wheel gear would be designed so that the aircraft could land
vertically or horizontally along a runway. Additionally, it would
be appreciated that controls would be provided in the cockpit for
operating the retractable wheel landing gear.
The wing and engine assemblies 30 and 31 would be identical but of
opposite hand wherein the assembly 30 is disposed on the right side
of the aircraft and the assembly 31 is disposed on the left side of
the aircraft. Each assembly would include a rearwardly extending
tail assembly to provide additional stabilization and
maneuverability during vertical takeoff and landing mode as well as
during horizontal flight mode. A centrally positioned and
vertically extending support member 52 includes a transversely
extending shaft 53 extending from opposite sides of the support
member and on which each of the wing and tail assemblies is
suitably attached whereby rotation of the shaft 53 by a suitable
drive mechanism will produce pivotal rotation of the wing and tail
assemblies between the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 3 for
producing vertical flight for substantially vertical takeoff and
landing maneuvers and the horizontal position shown in phantom in
FIG. 3 in solid in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 for producing substantially
horizontal flight of the aircraft. The arrowed lines in FIG. 3
depict the air flow during vertical takeoff and landing mode, while
the large arrow indicates direction of flight. The groups of lines
in FIGS. 4 and 5 indicate exhaust gases and thrust produced by the
engines, while the large arrow in FIG. 5 indicates the aircraft is
in horizontal flight mode. The dash lines in FIG. 6 indicate the
path of the outer ends of the propeller blades. Suitable controls
in the cockpit would operate drive means for driving the shaft 53
to rotate the wing and engine assemblies between the vertical
takeoff and landing position and the horizontal flight mode
position.
Each of the wing and engine assemblies includes a wing 56, a jet
fuel driven turbine engine 58, and a tail assembly 60. While the
wing 56 may take any suitable shape, it is slightly swept back and
longer between the leading and trailing edges in the area where the
engine 58 is mounted. At the trailing edges of the wings, a flap 62
is positionable as shown in FIG. 3 to direct the air stream created
by the engine downwardly during vertical takeoff and landing
maneuvers. Additionally, the flaps 62 may be used and positioned
for braking purposes where the aircraft is landed on a runway or
slowed to shift between horizontal to vertical flight mode. Flaps
64 are provided in the leading edges of the wings for additionally
controlling airflow as needed in order to enhance lift and/or other
maneuvers of the aircraft. Suitable aileron control surfaces are
provided on the wings to produce roll maneuvers.
The engines 58 are operable to function as a jet engine or as a
turbo prop engine, it being understood that the engines will
function as a turbo prop engine during vertical takeoff and landing
operation and in the jet mode during horizontal flight in order to
obtain the highest speeds of travel for the aircraft. In order for
the engine to operate as a turbo prop engine, it includes a
propeller 66 having a plurality of blades 67 and mounted on an
output propeller shaft 69 that extends from a suitable transmission
71 that is connected to the fan of the engine 58. The blades 67 are
foldable between an operating position as shown in solid lines in
FIG. 3 and in dotted lines in FIGS. 4 and 5 and in non-operating
position as shown in solid lines in FIGS. 4 and 5 where the blades
are folded up against the engine. Suitable controls are provided in
the cockpit for driving the blades between the operating position
and the non-operating position. It will be appreciated that the
blades will be in the non-operating position during vertical
takeoff and landing maneuvers and in the folded back non-operating
position during horizontal flight in order to reduce the drag on
the aircraft. The blades may also used in operating position for
landing or takeoff on a runway.
With respect to the wing and tail assemblies, the wings will
include suitable control surfaces in order to control and maneuver
the aircraft and which would include vertical fins or vanes 74 that
are pivotally mounted on the pivots 75 for assisting in the
directional maneuvering of the aircraft in both vertical and
horizontal flight modes, as well as providing stability to the
aircraft. Suitable ailerons will be provided on the wings and, for
example, can be provided on the flaps in order to provide and
produce roll movements of the aircraft. It should be appreciated
that the tail assembly 60 includes a horizontal stabilizer 76 and
an inclined upwardly extending stabilizer 78. As seen particularly
in FIG. 6, the upwardly extending stabilizers 78 are not vertically
oriented but oriented at an incline or a slant, the ones on
opposite tail assemblies going in opposite directions. The tail
assemblies will also include suitable control surfaces for
producing pitch and yaw maneuvers of the aircraft. Thus, the
aircraft will be provided with suitable control surfaces for
controlling pitch, yaw and roll as needed.
Accordingly, it will be understood that when the aircraft is in
horizontal flight mode it will fly directly horizontally or
substantially horizontally when climbing, descending, cruising,
taking off or landing along a runway. Similarly, when the aircraft
is in vertical flight mode, it will be producing the downward air
stream thrust that will enable the aircraft to take off or land
vertically or substantially vertically. With respect to the
propellers, it will be understood that they can be multi-bladed
propellers with or without pitch adjustability.
Referring now to FIG. 3, it will be appreciated that the wing and
engine assemblies are pivoted to the position shown in solid lines
to provide the vertical thrust for vertical takeoff and landing
mode. Additionally, the flaps 62 are actuated and driven to the
position shown where they are substantially vertically positioned
after the wing is tilted. The air stream, produced by the
propellers will be driven across the wing to produce lift and
against the flaps to produce a vertical thrust for vertical takeoff
and landing flight mode and the suitable lift for the aircraft so
that it can fly vertically. Once the aircraft has reached a
selected altitude, the wing and engine assemblies can then be
pivoted to their substantially horizontal positions for attaining
substantially horizontal flight.
The blades preferably will be folded back against the engine
nacelle during horizontal flight to allow pure jet operation in
order to produce the highest possible travel speed for the
aircraft. At this time the transmission for driving the propeller
will be deactivated or disengaged so that the propellers will not
rotate, thereby allowing the thrust of the aircraft to be attained
solely by the use of the jet engines. However, it should be
appreciated that the propellers could be used for horizontal flight
if so desired.
Unlike the prior art V-22 craft shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, because the
engine is on the wing and ahead of the wing and rotates with the
wing so that the engine thrust is always along the wing, the
transition from vertical to horizontal flight is quicker and more
efficient. At least part of the wings on the V-22 always work
against the thrust of the propeller as it merely sends the thrust
downwardly onto the top of the wings during vertical flight until
the engine is completely pivoted to the horizontal position so that
the thrust of the propeller can then be driven across the wings for
creating lift.
Moreover, the aircraft of the invention is lighter in weight than
the V-22 aircraft of FIGS. 1 and 2 because the aircraft of the
invention does not use heavy helicopter-type rotors and likewise
heavy drive gear to drive the rotors as is necessary in the V-22.
Moreover, the wing of the aircraft of the present invention can be
made smaller, thereby providing less resistance to the airflow and
allowing for greater speed. The wing structure of the V-22 has to
be built with extraordinary heavy weight mechanisms and supports to
prevent the wing from breaking under the stress of the
helicopter-type blades of the engines as their force is at the tip
ends of the wings.
The elevators and rudder of the V-22 cannot be used when taking off
and landing vertically unlike the tail assemblies on the wing and
engine assemblies of the aircraft of the present invention where
they can be used to assist in maneuvering the aircraft during
vertical takeoff and landing operations.
It may also be readily recognized that the aircraft of the present
invention can land and take off horizontally on a runway unlike the
V-22 because the propellers of the aircraft of the present
invention will not strike or engage the ground when the engines are
in horizontal position and generally parallel to the fuselage. The
helicopter blades of the V-22 would strike the ground in the event
an attempt was made to land horizontally on a runway.
As seen in the plan view of the wings of the aircraft of the
present invention in FIG. 4, the outer ends of the rotatable wings
are cut back to space them from the propellers and provide the best
possible air stream function across the wings. It is also possible
that the engine and wing assemblies can be pivoted overcenter if
necessary in order to obtain the proper lift at vertical takeoff
and landing such as shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 10 to 13 and
later explained in more detail below.
Although the engines 58 are shown to be mounted on the under sides
of the wings 56, it should be appreciated that they could be
mounted on the upper sides if so desired.
With respect to the diameter of the propeller, it is preferable to
have it at a smaller size so that it can turn at a higher rpm for
speed and make it easier to rotate the wing and engine assemblies
between horizontal and vertical modes. The size of the propeller
shown in the drawings is merely for illustrative purposes to show
that the propellers are used to provide thrust during vertical
takeoff and landing primarily and that the blades can be folded
back against the engines in horizontal position.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the vertical
takeoff and landing aircraft of the present invention, while
illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 6 as having a fuselage for carrying a
relatively small number of passengers and/or cargo, may have a
fuselage that is capable of carrying a large number of passengers,
such as a commercial airline and as shown in the embodiment of
FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. Additionally, it can be appreciated that while
the embodiment of FIGS. 3 to 6 shows one engine mounted on each
wing section, any number of engines may be used to produce the
necessary power for handling the type of fuselage that will give
the desired performance. It can be appreciated that an engine can
be mounted in a stationary fashion on the fuselage for producing
additional power if that is needed. The sizes of the engines will,
of course, be determined by the size of the aircraft and the
desired performance. Common to all of the aircraft embodiments of
the invention is that they will include a wing assembly pivotally
mounted at each side of the fuselage carrying an engine and
positionable between substantially horizontal and substantially
vertical positions for respectively conditioning the aircraft to be
in a horizontal flight mode or in a vertical flight mode. The flaps
are provided at the trailing edges of the wings movable between an
inline position as an extension of the wing for producing
substantially horizontal flight and of course giving additional
lift to the wings or at an incline to the wings when the wings are
in substantially vertical position to direct the air flow from the
propeller blades substantially vertically downward for obtaining
substantially vertical flight mode. Moreover, the configuration of
the aircraft of the invention as to the positions of the engines,
the length of the propeller blades, and the position of the wing
assemblies is such that when the wings are in the substantial
horizontal position the tips of the blades are spaced above the
ground when in operative position, thereby allowing the aircraft to
land or take off along a runway if the wing and engine assemblies
cannot be pivoted. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that when
the wing assemblies are operatively positioned in the substantially
vertical position and the flaps into substantially vertical
position, the aircraft is conditioned for vertical takeoff/landing
mode, while positioning the assemblies into substantially
horizontal position and the flaps at inline positions with the
wings causes the aircraft to be in a horizontal flying/landing
mode.
Referring now to the embodiment of FIGS. 7 to 9, generally
indicated by the numeral 25A, this embodiment differs from the
embodiment of FIGS. 3 to 6 in that the fuselage is designed for
carrying a large number of passengers. Additionally, it will be
appreciated that the structures of the wings and the size of the
engines will likewise be designed for handling the additional load
expected from a large number of passengers and/or cargo. The
arrowed lines in FIG. 7 depict the air flow during vertical takeoff
and landing mode, while the large arrow indicates vertical flight
mode attained by the positions of the wing and engine assemblies.
The groups of lines in FIGS. 8 and 9 depict the exhaust gases and
thrust of the jet engines, and the large arrow indicates the
aircraft is in horizontal flight mode.
The aircraft 25A includes a fuselage 80 having front and rear doors
82 and 84, a tail assembly 86 at the trailing end of the fuselage,
a cockpit 88 at the front end of the fuselage, and landing gear 90
of the same type as that in the embodiment of FIGS. 3 to 6 wherein
it includes pontoons and retractable wheeled landing gear. While
not shown, a suitable door will be provided to load and unload
cargo. Further, the tail assembly 86 will have both vertical and
horizontal stabilizers as well as control surfaces like a rudder
and elevators respectively producing yaw and pitch for the
aircraft.
A vertically and longitudinally extending wing-mounting
superstructure 92, which also serves as a vertical stabilizer for
the aircraft particularly when it is in horizontal flight mode,
receives the wing-mounting shaft 94 to which wing and engine
assemblies 96 and 98 are attached so that rotation of the shaft 94
will cause pivoting of the wing and engine assemblies between their
substantially vertical position for effecting the vertical flight
mode and their substantially horizontal position for effecting the
horizontal flight mode. Suitable drive means is provided for
driving the wing and engine assemblies between the vertical and
horizontal position and controlled in the aircraft cockpit. Each
wing and engine assembly includes a wing 100 shaped much like that
shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 3 to 6, rearwardly extending tail
assemblies 102 and jet fuel driven turbine engines 104 mounted on
the wings. As in the previous embodiment, each engine includes a
transmission 106 having an output shaft 108 on which a propeller
110 is mounted.
Like the other embodiment, the propellers include a plurality of
blades 112 movable between operative position, as seen in FIG. 7,
and non-operating position, as shown in solid in FIGS. 8 and 9.
Also, the operative position is shown in dotted lines in FIGS. 8
and 9. Additionally, it may be appreciated that the propeller
blades may be adjustable for pitch. Thus, the propellers are
movable between the operative position and foldable back against
the engines in inoperative position depending upon the flight mode
selected by the pilot. The blades will always be in operative
position during vertical takeoff and landing mode of the aircraft
where the engine operates as a turbo prop engine, but may be
optionally in the operative or non-operative position during
horizontal flight and/or during horizontal flight for horizontal
landing on a runway. Flaps 114 are provided at the trailing edges
of the wings for use in vertical takeoff and landing mode to direct
the air stream more directly downwardly on a vertical plane, as
shown in FIG. 7, and to thereafter be movable into inline position
with the wings in horizontal flight.
Suitable control surfaces are provided on the wings to give
directional control or rotational control to the aircraft. Ailerons
may be provided on the flaps and vertical control members may be
provided on the wing tips as in the embodiment of FIGS. 3 to 6.
Operation of this embodiment 25A will be substantially the same as
that of the embodiment of FIGS. 3 to 6.
A still further embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 10 to
13, wherein the aircraft is generally designated by the numeral 25B
and differs from the previous embodiments in that this aircraft
includes three engines, one of which is stationarily mounted on the
fuselage and further that the movable wing and engine assemblies
extend out from a fixed wing portion at both sides of the fuselage.
However, this embodiment will also operate to provide vertical
takeoff and landing modes as well as landing horizontally on a
runway without damaging the propellers. While this embodiment is
shown to only include floats that enable it to land and take off on
water, it will be appreciated that the floats may be also provided
with retractable wheel landing gear, so that it can land on or take
off from land. The large arrow in FIG. 10 depicts the aircraft to
be in vertical flight mode, while the large arrow in FIG. 11
depicts the aircraft in horizontal flight mode. The arrowed lines
in FIG. 10 illustrates the air flow generated by the propellers,
while the groups of lines in FIGS. 11 and 12 depict the exhaust
gases and thrust of the jet engines. The dash lines in FIG. 13
indicate the path of the outer ends or tips of the propeller
blades.
The aircraft 25B includes a fuselage 116 having a tail assembly 118
at the rear of the fuselage and a cockpit 120 at the front end of
the fuselage. A fixed wing 122 is mounted on the top side of the
fuselage and a jet fuel driven turbine engine 124 is mounted on the
fixed wing 122, and accordingly on the fuselage. Movable wing and
engine assemblies 126 and 128 are carried on the opposite ends of
the fixed wing 122. Floats 130 serving as the landing gear are
mounted on the underside of the fuselage. Flaps 132 are provided at
the trailing edges of the movable wing assemblies 126 and 128, and
flaps 134 are provided at the trailing edge of the fixed wing 122
at both sides of the fuselage. Additionally, the flaps 134 are
sectional and include multiple sections, each of which is movable
relative to the other to provide the necessary operation for the
vertical takeoff and landing mode. Additional flaps 136 are
provided at the leading edge of the fixed wing to enhance
operations where flaps are needed to operate the aircraft. It will
also be understood that control surfaces in the manner of ailerons
will be provided on the movable or wing assemblies or the fixed
wing as needed to provide the proper maneuverability of the
aircraft.
The tail section 118 includes a vertical stabilizer 138 and a
horizontal stabilizer 140, each of which includes control surfaces
for producing yaw and pitch movements of the aircraft. A rudder 142
is provided on the vertical stabilizer, while elevators 144 are
provided on the horizontal stabilizer. Additional vertical
stabilizers may also be provided on the fuselage such as the
stabilizer 146 in the form of a fin at the rear end of the fuselage
and below the tail assembly. This fin can also serve as a rudder
when landing on or taking off from water.
The movable wing and engine assemblies 126 and 128 include jet fuel
driven turbine engines 148 having propellers 150 mounted on an
output shaft of a transmission in the same manner as the engines in
the previous embodiments. Further, the blades of the propeller are
movable between operative position as shown in FIG. 10 or
inoperative position as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. It will be
appreciated that they will be in operative position during all
vertical takeoff and landing procedures as in the previous
embodiments and in inoperative position during horizontal flight
where only the jet engines will provide the necessary thrust in
order to take the aircraft at a high speed. Further, the fixed
engine 124 includes a propeller 152 of the same type as on the
other engines which includes movable propeller blades that are
movable between operative and non-operative positions.
This embodiment differs slightly from the previous embodiment also
in that when the movable wing and engine assemblies are pivoted for
takeoff or landing maneuvers, they are oriented in an overcenter
vertical position where they can be driven to the position shown in
FIG. 10 that is inclined from the vertical in order to additionally
provide the necessary vertical thrust for takeoff and landing
maneuvers.
In order to accommodate the propeller blades of the fixed engine
124, which during vertical takeoff and landing maneuvers forces air
across the fixed wing section and downwardly to the landing surface
by virtue of the flaps 134, a cutout is provided in the front part
of the fuselage. To provide additional stability for the aircraft,
a short wing section 154 is provided below that propeller and to
also control the flow of the air stream over the fuselage and the
fixed wing.
In operation, the aircraft 25B can take off or land vertically or
horizontally as in the other embodiments. Takeoff and landing
vertically requires the manipulation of the propeller blades into
operative position as shown in FIG. 10 and in dotted lines in FIGS.
11 and 12, while operation of the aircraft in horizontal flying
mode is generally limited to use of the jet engine thrust by itself
in order to obtain the maximum speed for the aircraft. In landing
horizontally on a runway or a body of water, the propellers can be
placed in operating mode to assist in the maneuverability and
control of the aircraft during a landing or takeoff mode. When the
movable wing and engine assemblies are pivoted to the positions
shown in FIG. 10 for vertical takeoff and landing maneuvers, once
the aircraft reaches a desired altitude, the movable wing and
engine assemblies can be rotated back toward the horizontal
position for attaining horizontal flight. Once horizontal flight is
attained, the propellers may be selectably disengaged from the
transmission and deactivated and folded back, as shown in solid
lines in FIGS. 11 and 12, to allow the pure jet flying mode for the
aircraft and to attain the maximum possible speed for the
aircraft.
In view of the foregoing, it is respectfully appreciated that the
present invention provides a very efficient and unique structure
for attaining both vertical takeoff and landing maneuvers as well
as for horizontal flight, so that the aircraft can be landed or
taken off vertically or horizontally.
It will be understood that modifications and variations may be
effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of
the present invention, but it is understood that this application
is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.
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